Someone who is young and tenacious and new to a task, and sometimes perhaps shows a little bit of cheek or enthusiasm is referred to as a young whippersnapper.

So what is the origin of this phrase?

Well it has to do with cowboys, no less, and the task of looking after the cows.

One of the easiest skills to master was that of cracking the whip. So since this was usually done by a beginner who did not yet have the other skills which were harder to master at their command, then it became known as a whippersnapper, and the phrase has stuck and moved into common parlance.

So, I guess this whole homeschool thing isn't just for the kids to learn...I learned something today too. And, truth be told, just about every day so far!